unfit
Americanadjective
-
not fit; not adapted or suited; unsuitable.
He was unfit for his office.
- Synonyms:
- unapt, inappropriate
-
unqualified or incompetent.
- Synonyms:
- incapable
-
not physically fit or in due condition.
-
Biology. pertaining to an organism or population that is not adapted to prevailing conditions or is not producing offspring in sufficient numbers to maintain its contribution to the gene pool of the next generation.
verb (used with object)
adjective
-
unqualified, incapable, or incompetent
unfit for military service
-
unsuitable or inappropriate
the ground was unfit for football
-
in poor physical condition
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unfit
Explanation
If someone is unfit, they're not qualified. You're unfit for a job as an ice cream truck driver if your only driving experience has been steering a bumper car at an amusement park. Farmland can be described as unfit for planting if it's been leached of nutrients, and a babysitter might be accused of being unfit if he gets distracted and loses track of his charges on the playground. In either case, the unfit thing or person doesn't meet the necessary requirements or standards. Another way to be unfit is to be out of shape or in poor physical condition. Fit can mean both "suitable" and "in good shape."
Vocabulary lists containing unfit
Way Off: Synonyms for "Wrong"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In 2023, judges halted the trial, deeming the wheelchair-bound Kabuga "unfit to participate meaningfully" in proceedings, but he was ordered to remain detained awaiting provisional release.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
Still, coaches worked to make the best of unfit practice locations and engage unsettled kids.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
But it would also allow unprecedented control to someone entirely unfit to run a magazine, let alone understand its readers.
From Salon • May 6, 2026
Many of La Fenice's musicians and staff questioned her credentials, arguing that she was unfit to become the music director of one of Italy's most important theatres.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
There’s no use making the tea till Dad gets home because it will be stewed, coddled, boiled and unfit to drink.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
